This week saw the annual IMROlive music venue of the year awards ceremony take place at IMRO headquarters in Dublin. Cork had a strong showing with the Opera House and Cyprus Avenue picking up awards. Both venues have played a part in bringing quality acts to the city over the past year, despite what has been perceived as a recent stagnation in international touring acts visiting these parts.

Coming out on top was the Cork Opera House with the IMRO National Live Music Venue of the Year award, voted by the public. The past year has seen a marked improvement in the range and quality of acts performing at the Opera House, some of the highlights including: Ryan Adams, Talvin Singh, The Blind Boys of Alabama and Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, as well as Irish acts Fred, Niwel Tsumbu, Jack L and James Vincent McMorrow.
Filling up the calendar too were a range of quality comedy acts, as well as perpetual OH favourites like Daniel O’Donnell, various showband nostalgia nights, even Crystal Swing and a string of sold-out Jedward shows, but tickets will be sold and bills must be paid! Special mention must be given for stand-out events such as the series of shows for The Reich Effect (celebrating Steve Reich’s 75th birthday), The Knife’s Darwin electro-opera ‘Tomorrow, in a Year’, Icebreaker & BJ Cole performing Brian Eno’s Apollo, and the UCC Gamelan Ensemble (who are returning in April).

Upcoming highlights at the Cork Opera House include Professor Green, The Magnetic Fields and Transcendentalists (Jóhann Jóhannsson, Hauschka and Dustin O’Halloran), with some impressive local & Irish acts lined up in the form of Mick Flannery, Kormac’s Big Band with the West Cork Ukelele Orchestra, and Cork Rocks The House.

Meanwhile, Cyprus Avenue have been awarded Best Live Music Venue in Munster for the second time, having won the inaugural award in 2008. Last year saw some epic, loud gigs like Swans, Earth and Therapy, and brought back classic Irish acts Whipping Boy and Cry Before Dawn. International touring highlights (for this author at least) included And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead, Austra, John Grant and The Antlers.

The Lobby Bar on No 1 Union Quay was an iconic live music venue in Cork City, which closed its doors in 2005. This book tells the story of the music and people who passed through the Lobby Bar during its seventeen year existence. At one time there were four public houses neighbouring the Lobby, with music becoming a key element linking each venue by the 1990s.

The Lobby Bar – Music Through the Windows of Union Quay, Cork also delves back into the history of the musicians and venues that shaped the musical landscape of Cork. It is a book that celebrates, in words and pictures, the many magic nights of music in the Lobby Bar.

THE REICH EFFECT
A Five Day Festival Marking the 75th Year of
Pulitzer Prize Winning Composer, Steve Reich
Wednesday 27 – Sunday 31 July 2011

FESTIVAL HOT TICKET ALERT

Cork Opera House is proud to present The Reich Effect a five day festival marking the 75th year of the Pulitzer Prize winning composer, Steve Reich. A multitude of performances including the Irish premiere of WTC 9/11 by the Kronos Quartet will take place in Cork Opera House and other Cork City venues from Wednesday 27 through Sunday 31 July. In order to celebrate this seminal event we are offering an exclusive FESTIVAL TICKET for a limited timeframe only. The FESTIVAL TICKET is a special package of 5 for €100 (any 5 festival events of your choice). Book now to avoid disappointment by calling Cork Opera House Box Office on 021-4270022.

The New York Times calls Steve Reich “our greatest living composer” and “among the great composers of the century”, while The New Yorker hails him as “the most original musical thinker of our time”. From his early taped speech pieces to his digital video opera, the American’s path has embraced not only aspects of Western Classical music, but the structures, harmonies, and rhythms of non-Western and American vernacular music, particularly jazz.

The Reich Effect will begin with a screening of the film Steve Reich – Phase to Face followed by a public interview with Reich conducted by John Kelly on 27 July in Cork Opera House. Other highlights include the Kronos Quartet (28 July, Cork Opera House), RTÉ Concert Orchestra performing works by Jonny Greenwood (Radiohead) and Kjartan Sveinsson (Sigur Ros) (29 July, City Hall), London Sinfonietta (30 July, Cork Opera House), Efterklang with Daniel Bjarnason and the Messing Orchestra (30 July, Savoy Theatre), Johann Johannsson (31 July, Triskel Christchurch) and Crash Ensemble with Iarla Ó Lionáird and Gavin Friday (31 July, Cork Opera House).

Crash Ensemble will perform Double Sextet for which Steve Reich was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2009.

Local, national and international artists will come together to produce three special programmes of Reich’s music: Counterpoint, Drumming and Phases. These will include two unique dance commissions. David Bolger will dance to Kate Ellis’s Cello Counterpoint and Nic Gaireiss will dance Clapping Music. Both events take place in the Firkin Crane.

“It is such an honour to present musicians and composers of this calibre in Cork City. It is a wonderful opportunity for Cork to celebrate local talent also. I have always been hugely ‘effected’ by Reich myself since my time studying Music at UCC and it is a real privilege to invite him to Cork. Kate Ellis and I had great fun and deliberation selecting the programme for the festival and we look forward to your reaction and enjoyment over the few days in Cork!”

Budding electronic artists are invited to apply to the Reich Remix Competition. The finalists will be judged and selected by Steve Reich himself, having been shortlisted by a panel of high profile judges including Jim Carroll and Donal Dineen. Reich will also lead a Composition Seminar (places strictly by application).

Other events in Cork Opera House, City Hall, Firkin Crane, Pavilion and Savoy Theatre are currently on sale through Cork Opera House. More events in a variety of venues and outdoor sites will be announced.

The following Reich Event performances are currently on sale:

Wed 27 July, 8pm, Cork Opera House
STEVE REICH – PHASE TO FACE SCREENING
A film by Eric Darmon & Frank Mallet
Followed by Steve Reich public interview with John Kelly
Tickets €20*

REICH REMIX COMPETITION
Competition winners will be invited to perform at the Remix Club in the Pavilion on Friday 29th July. For application information please email reich@corkoperahouse.ie . Closing date for submissions is 17 June.

REICH COMPOSITION SEMINAR
Composers are invited to learn directly from the master himself. Places are limited and registration is essential. For an application please email reich@corkoperahouse.ie > .

Kerry band Ten Past Seven have some new tracks to lay down and are looking for help from their fans and the general public to fund the recording process. The finished product will be a non-profit release for Outonalimb Records, so the tracks will utlimately be available for free download. Contributors to the funding initiative, however, will receive digital copies of the EP in advance of the public release, and more generous contributions will be rewarded with physical copies of the new release, back catalogue and some “unique art pieces.”

Full details and current progress can be found below this promo video…

This Saturday, 18th June at Bradley’s on Barrack Street, there will take place a tribute to American songwriter Daniel Johnston. At 7.30, ‘Cine-Ceoil’ presents the documentary film, The Devil and Daniel Johnston (110 mins).

Indiependence is back for its 6th year and promises to be bigger and better than ever. The festival takes place over 3 days and nights, July 29th – 31st, at Deer Farm just outside Mitchelstown in north Cork, with highlight acts including Editors, Ash, Therapy?, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip, And So I Watch You From Afar, Whipping Boy and loads more.

The festival site is located a 15 minute walk from the town, while camping is available on site with the relevant ticket. Prices start at €59 for two days (without camping) up to €99 for three days with camping.
Full ticket details and booking links here:www.indiependencefestival.com/?page_id=3

It was recently announced that Cork Opera House is to close for three months starting next week in a bid to cut costs.

We’d like to pass on a message from the Cork-based Cyclone Repertory about a gathering in front of the Opera House tomorrow afternoon:

It has been put forth that when it re-opens that it is going to become a purely commercial venue booking mainstream shows and forgoing the support and development of local talent altogether.

On Friday July 2nd in front of the Opera House at 4pm there will be a gathering together of those whose vocation is to create, entertain and perform in celebration of what the Opera House has and should continue to mean to Cork. This spectacle will include a variety of performances that will prove to be a stimulating and pleasant way to spend a summer’s afternoon while raising awareness of what is taking place at this important Cork venue.
Please support this initiative.

Indiependence 2010 returns this August bank holiday weekend at Deer Park on the old Dublin road just outside Mitchelstown. The new location hosts on-site camping & parking facilities, and will feature 4 covered stages.

Bavaria Main Stage
Headliners include White Lies, Alabama 3, Reverend & The Makers and The Coronas

The Cyprus Avenue Arena
Delorentos, Jape & Duke Special

The Monster Mash
The stage will see a mix of rock, electro and DJ’s from mid afternoon to early morning.

The Square
Live music, comedy, DJs, live electro, merchandise, vendors & chillout area.
“…a new addition for 2010, it is an arena within a village within a festival…
a 1,000 capacity tent where you will be able to see just a little bit of everything.”

Tickets priced at €59 (or €79 including camping) are available online from Ticketgroup.

Murphy’s presents Cork X Southwest, in its fourth year taking place at The Showgrounds in Skibbereen on Saturday July 31st. Headliners announced to date include Bonnie Prince Billy and Martha Wainwright.